Characterizing technology affordances, constraints, and coping strategies for information dissemination to the public: Insights from emergency messaging in US local governments

Abstract

Disseminating information to the public is critical in emergency management. Thanks to technological advances in recent decades, governments can instantly reach citizens through multiple channels. Existing research on emergency messaging indicates that the effectiveness of messaging depends on multiple factors, including receivers' characteristics, message content and style, as well as the social and political contexts. However, what is still missing in the literature is a better understanding of the role of technology use for emergency messaging, particularly in local governments. Based on the Technology Affordances and Constraints Theory (TACT) and a practice perspective, we analyzed interview data from eighteen local emergency management agencies in the United States to investigate four questions: (1) what digital artifacts are used for writing and sending messages? (2) how do the artifacts afford emergency managers in writing and sending messages? (3) what are the constraints that impede effective messaging? and (4) how do governments cope with those difficulties? We find four types of artifacts involved in emergency messaging, their affordances, and constraints, as well as some strategies for mitigating negative impacts. The findings extend current knowledge about emergency messaging from the point of view of front-line staff and add insights into the TACT.